Our first 12 hours together
What a day! First off let me say how sorry I am about the pictures! Yikes I know how crazy it is to be waiting in the US, and now I know how crazy it is to try to do anything from China, especially with a 2 year old, schedules and jetlag, let alone internet problems. I am determined to get them out there I have sent some by e-mail, (Chris and Mary somehow I do not have your e-mail, please e-mail me with it, hopefully you have had a chance to talk to Barron and get some of the details.
I woke up about 2:30 am as if I was 7 years old again and it was Christmas, which means I did not get back to sleep until 5:00 and then hope at 7:00 to hit the breakfast buffet (ox tripe hmmm yum) j/k I'm not that adventuresome. Actually I was too excited/anxious to eat (so you know it had to be crazy). We met our guide Chritina, very sweet, at 8:30 and headed in a our van (no big luxury tour bus for this small crowd)to the civil affairs office, about 20 minutes away. We were all by ourselves in a large waiting room. I phoned Barron on the panda phone, which I love and would highly recommend. Dad had the video, mom had the camera, sam had the phone and in walks Olivia. I instantly knew her, I walked up to meet her, bent down and said Nihao (hello), she was quiet and was carrying one of the little people toys we had sent her with Kathy for her birthday, she wasn't too sure of me picking her up but didn't cry. Her personality was exactly as I had expected, for the first 15 minutes, since then I have been totally shocked. First off she immediatly called me Mama, she knew Sam was gege and called Barron Ba Ba on the phone. The phone...oh boy that was immediatly a big hit, I could bearly get it back from her, Suzie she may give us a run for our money with her love of the phone!
The second biggest suprise was no tears when we left, she waived and said "Zaigen"(goodbye) to the director of adoptions and let me carry her off in the van. She rode on my lap and instantly began entertaining us. I had given her a sucker and a kitty which she held onto. I tried to call Barron again, but didn't last long since she was insistent on using it. At one point she was holding the phone to her hear and Sam was holding his hand to his hear pretending to talk with her, he said Nihao LingLing (her Chinese nickname), and she said Nihao gege (big brother). It was amazing, and so cute we all laughed even the driver. She just smiled, like I know aren't I cute.
Back at the hotel we spent some time going over paperwork, and fixing the internet, meanwhile Olivia was busy exploring. We had set up some toys around the room, and her and Sam had at it. SHe is amazingly smart, she knew what to do with all of her toys, color, feed the baby doll, stack the blocks.
Right after we got the paperwork and the internet done, we had to go to the market to get the baby formula, she takes two bottles a day, which I am happy about since it will be good for the bonding. Olivia was fine in the stroller although half way (we walked) to the market, she said she wanted to get out of here, translated by Christina. We kept her in until the market, which she didn't fuss about, and put her in the shopping cart. The market was a large department store, and we were a bit overwelmed but had fun picking out a few dvds, new shoes for Olivia size 5, and lots of groceries. The Chinese people were amazed at how much we were buying, they buy on a daily basis as needed, we buy American style, and its hard to break old habits.
Dad was pushing Olivia in the art when her eyes started drooping and she put her thumb in her mouth (something she hasn't done since so I'm not sure if it is a habit or not) he picked her up and she layed her head on his shoulder and went to sleep, precious. We took a taxi, which cost about 35 cents back to the hotel (it was only a few blocks, but still what a bargain).
Christina left, and we spent the rest of the day being amazed, amused and and falling in love. Olivia is so full of suprises, she is clever sweet humorous unbeleivably busy (not hyper just busy) strong minded and absolutly lovable.And boy can she talk, we have learned mor mandarin from our two year old in one day then I managed to master over the past months getting ready for this trip. She can say all done, bathroom (she is potty trained but also uses diapers as a back up) hungry thirsty more, I love you (a real heart melter) where did they go? what happened? here take it and our favorite and apparently hers "give it to me" and this is just what we have managed to decifer. We are calling her by her chinese nickname and also mei mei (little sister) with a few Olivia's and Livies thrown in (oh and a few Gracies by accident, sorry sweetie).
A few things we have already learned about Olivia... she loves buttons, and I mean loves, which means she also loves cell phones, hotel phones, light switches, remote controls, tv buttons etc. She loves to pour liquid from one container to the next and can unscrew a pop or water bottle before you can say boo, she loves her brother follows him everywhere laughs at all his antics and already goes to him when we have told her no (to more candy, help getting into something when she is not supposed to ect.) she also loves her nai nai (grandma) and jeijei (grandpa), calls them both by name, looks for them when they are gone and interacts with them constantly. She also seems to be pretty fond of me, thankfully I have had moments of worry wondering if she would bond to me when she seems to love everyone. But already she refuses to go to strangers, although she loved chatting and cracking up the waitresses, and when I say wo ai ni (i love you) she almost always says it back. We also discovered that she really does like music, like her referal said, and dances or sings when she hears it. She puts up a good argument when she is told no, but has yet to throw temper tantrum (I'm sure it is coming sooner or later, she is two). She is very curious, loves to dig threw everything, we nicknamed her hurricane Olivia at one point today as that is what the room resembled within minutes, honey this might be a good time to get the house toddler profed again.
Yes it has been a suprising first day, Olivia is not what I expected but she is so much more, she keeps us on our toes, and I just keep thinking thank goodness there are four of us to keep up with her, but I am absolutly crazy about my new little girl, and couldn't be more in love. Wow and this is only the first day, one can only imagine what tomorrow will bring!
hugs from China,
Cheri
ps I hope this blog made up for the late pictures :o)
I woke up about 2:30 am as if I was 7 years old again and it was Christmas, which means I did not get back to sleep until 5:00 and then hope at 7:00 to hit the breakfast buffet (ox tripe hmmm yum) j/k I'm not that adventuresome. Actually I was too excited/anxious to eat (so you know it had to be crazy). We met our guide Chritina, very sweet, at 8:30 and headed in a our van (no big luxury tour bus for this small crowd)to the civil affairs office, about 20 minutes away. We were all by ourselves in a large waiting room. I phoned Barron on the panda phone, which I love and would highly recommend. Dad had the video, mom had the camera, sam had the phone and in walks Olivia. I instantly knew her, I walked up to meet her, bent down and said Nihao (hello), she was quiet and was carrying one of the little people toys we had sent her with Kathy for her birthday, she wasn't too sure of me picking her up but didn't cry. Her personality was exactly as I had expected, for the first 15 minutes, since then I have been totally shocked. First off she immediatly called me Mama, she knew Sam was gege and called Barron Ba Ba on the phone. The phone...oh boy that was immediatly a big hit, I could bearly get it back from her, Suzie she may give us a run for our money with her love of the phone!
The second biggest suprise was no tears when we left, she waived and said "Zaigen"(goodbye) to the director of adoptions and let me carry her off in the van. She rode on my lap and instantly began entertaining us. I had given her a sucker and a kitty which she held onto. I tried to call Barron again, but didn't last long since she was insistent on using it. At one point she was holding the phone to her hear and Sam was holding his hand to his hear pretending to talk with her, he said Nihao LingLing (her Chinese nickname), and she said Nihao gege (big brother). It was amazing, and so cute we all laughed even the driver. She just smiled, like I know aren't I cute.
Back at the hotel we spent some time going over paperwork, and fixing the internet, meanwhile Olivia was busy exploring. We had set up some toys around the room, and her and Sam had at it. SHe is amazingly smart, she knew what to do with all of her toys, color, feed the baby doll, stack the blocks.
Right after we got the paperwork and the internet done, we had to go to the market to get the baby formula, she takes two bottles a day, which I am happy about since it will be good for the bonding. Olivia was fine in the stroller although half way (we walked) to the market, she said she wanted to get out of here, translated by Christina. We kept her in until the market, which she didn't fuss about, and put her in the shopping cart. The market was a large department store, and we were a bit overwelmed but had fun picking out a few dvds, new shoes for Olivia size 5, and lots of groceries. The Chinese people were amazed at how much we were buying, they buy on a daily basis as needed, we buy American style, and its hard to break old habits.
Dad was pushing Olivia in the art when her eyes started drooping and she put her thumb in her mouth (something she hasn't done since so I'm not sure if it is a habit or not) he picked her up and she layed her head on his shoulder and went to sleep, precious. We took a taxi, which cost about 35 cents back to the hotel (it was only a few blocks, but still what a bargain).
Christina left, and we spent the rest of the day being amazed, amused and and falling in love. Olivia is so full of suprises, she is clever sweet humorous unbeleivably busy (not hyper just busy) strong minded and absolutly lovable.And boy can she talk, we have learned mor mandarin from our two year old in one day then I managed to master over the past months getting ready for this trip. She can say all done, bathroom (she is potty trained but also uses diapers as a back up) hungry thirsty more, I love you (a real heart melter) where did they go? what happened? here take it and our favorite and apparently hers "give it to me" and this is just what we have managed to decifer. We are calling her by her chinese nickname and also mei mei (little sister) with a few Olivia's and Livies thrown in (oh and a few Gracies by accident, sorry sweetie).
A few things we have already learned about Olivia... she loves buttons, and I mean loves, which means she also loves cell phones, hotel phones, light switches, remote controls, tv buttons etc. She loves to pour liquid from one container to the next and can unscrew a pop or water bottle before you can say boo, she loves her brother follows him everywhere laughs at all his antics and already goes to him when we have told her no (to more candy, help getting into something when she is not supposed to ect.) she also loves her nai nai (grandma) and jeijei (grandpa), calls them both by name, looks for them when they are gone and interacts with them constantly. She also seems to be pretty fond of me, thankfully I have had moments of worry wondering if she would bond to me when she seems to love everyone. But already she refuses to go to strangers, although she loved chatting and cracking up the waitresses, and when I say wo ai ni (i love you) she almost always says it back. We also discovered that she really does like music, like her referal said, and dances or sings when she hears it. She puts up a good argument when she is told no, but has yet to throw temper tantrum (I'm sure it is coming sooner or later, she is two). She is very curious, loves to dig threw everything, we nicknamed her hurricane Olivia at one point today as that is what the room resembled within minutes, honey this might be a good time to get the house toddler profed again.
Yes it has been a suprising first day, Olivia is not what I expected but she is so much more, she keeps us on our toes, and I just keep thinking thank goodness there are four of us to keep up with her, but I am absolutly crazy about my new little girl, and couldn't be more in love. Wow and this is only the first day, one can only imagine what tomorrow will bring!
hugs from China,
Cheri
ps I hope this blog made up for the late pictures :o)
posted by Mei Mei at 5:31 AM
1 Comments:
Cheri, I am so excited for all of you with your new little Olivia!! I am loving the stories of her antics . . . it really shows she has a great personality. Can't wait to meet her! All our love and prayers are with you. Camille
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